Under the guidelines of state law, Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 28A.175.010, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is required to report annually on the educational progress of public school students in grades 7-12. To meet the state and federal reporting requirements, OSPI prepares an annual report summarizing the enrollment activity of students in school grades 7-12 and adjusted cohort results for students. This report summarizes the graduation rates as of the 2017-18 school year for the four, five, six, and seven year graduation cohorts. A student's cohort is based on the year they enter 9th grade for the first time. The calculation adjusts for students who transfer into a Washington public high school for the first time and join a cohort. Students are removed from the cohort if they transfer out of public school in Washington. The adjusted cohort method tracks individual students over time and does not rely on estimates. It generally aligns with what most people think of as a graduation rate: Among a group of students who started high school together, what percent graduated in four (or five, or six, or seven) years? This year's report shows that Washington's 4-year graduation rate is 80.9% for the Class of 2018; students who entered 9th grade for the first time in 2014-15. The rate is an increase of 1.6% from the Class of 2017, which had a 4-year graduation rate of 79.3%. The 5-year graduation rate for students who entered 9th grade for the first time in 2013-14 is 82.7%. This is a slight increase from the previous year's 5-year rate, which was 82.4%. Both the 6- and 7-year cohorts increased from the previous school year. The 6-year graduation rate for students who entered 9th grade for the first time in 2012-13 is 83.6% and the 7-year graduation rate for students who entered 9th grade for the first time in 2011-12 is 84%. [For "Graduation and Dropout Statistics Annual Report. Report to the Legislature [2016-17]," see ED583136.]